QGIS bans AI assisted contributions
QGIS has officially banned AI-assisted contributions to its project. The decision aims to maintain the integrity and quality of community-developed code. (github.com)
Attack of the Vibe Coded Photoshop Clones
shokunin.studio114 points169 comments
A detailed critique documents a wave of AI-driven attempts to "vibe code" clones of popular creative apps - chiefly Photoshop - designed to mimic look and feel while diverting revenue. Dozens of projects and forks are underway, with one large effort growing from ~70 to 165 contributors using Claude to generate hundreds of pull requests daily and burning tens of thousands of dollars in API tokens. The clones replicate UI superficially but fail on fundamentals: brush engines collapse beyond ~8K×8K canvases, undo and copy/paste freeze on billboard-size tests (1000 px brushes), and performance cannot match Photoshop’s handling of 100-megapixel images. Claims that poor results are excusable because projects are "new" are rejected: generative-AI development represents many human-equivalent years, so persistent core-engine failures reveal bad planning or weak models.
Beyond performance, compatibility and production-readiness are lacking: file-format fidelity, lossless editing, color-profile rendering, soft-proofing, fonts and licensed assets are incomplete or missing, and filters commonly use low-res previews. Economic claims falter too - spending thousands on AI subscriptions to produce rough clones is costlier than commercial options (Photoshop ~$200/yr; Affinity free) and requires ongoing maintenance. Open-source alternatives rarely supplant commercial leaders; a 2026 Japan CG survey showed 58% using Maya, 17% 3ds Max, 12% Blender, 7% Cinema 4D. The clone wave also fuels spam, misinformation, and toxic communities. The recommended path is genuine innovation and robust engineering rather than cheap imitation that undermines creators’ incentives.
Summary generated by AI from the linked article. hn.today is not affiliated with Hacker News or Y Combinator.
More in Other
A decade after Stardew Valley, Eric Barone is still going it alone
Eric Barone created Stardew Valley as a solo project over four years, inspired by his love for wholesome farming games. Ten years later, the game remains popular, and Barone continues to work independently on its long-awaited sequel, Haunted Chocolatier. (gq-magazine.co.uk)
Research Firm Calls Anthropic's IPO 'Unprecedented Test of Investor Gullibity'
Research firm New Constructs criticizes Anthropic's planned $2 trillion IPO, calling it the 'most ridiculous of 2026' and warning of a risk to financial markets. The firm argues that rising operating losses and the popularity of open-source models undermine Anthropic's business viability. (cnbc.com)
Console market craters: Xbox sales drop 33%, PS5 sales drop 25%
Xbox and PS5 console sales dropped by 33% and 25% respectively, reaching their lowest levels in 25 years. Rising prices and economic factors are cited as reasons for the decline in sales. (tomshardware.com)
Lotus Improv on the NeXT
Lotus Improv is a legendary spreadsheet software known for its innovative pivot table feature and its status as a cult classic in computing history. It was developed as an exclusive for NeXT computers, which influenced the evolution of modern operating systems like macOS. (stonetools.ghost.io)
An open-source, clean-room reimplementation of Microsoft Word in pure Rust
Wordcraft is an open-source reimplementation of Microsoft Word written entirely in Rust. It aims to provide a clean-room alternative with a focus on safety and performance. (github.com)